Balance between reading and your ears...

[Reg]

This subject has been beat into the ground both theoretically and philosophically and I apologize now ... but some gigs just put all the pieces in place. I'm fortunate to have steady gigs and usually know what I'm getting into. At a jazz jam I host... a vocalist sang a couple tune and sounded great. I was asked to cover a gig as a duo at a local, on the small side restaurant/bar. Three hours... great, work on my solo skills.( I try and not memorize or work out tunes, it's like improvisational-sight reading) Anyway I new 2/3's of the tunes, and had heard the rest... the hard part was the charts were loose, none were in correct key and as I knew going in... you never know where a vocalist will go. The place was packed, small room...I used every skill I had as a musician... I read extremely well...transpose etc...have always worked on my ears... I was on the edge of crash and burn most of the night, forms were loose, melodies were interpolated, key changes... but the grooves, the shapes and layers of the music was pretty incredible, the audience had a great time and about half hour into the gig I realized this why I dig playing jazz...live interaction, etc... I also realized this is why as a musician you need all the skills and a balance between them... Reg

Reg, very well said. I have never been an either/or player and don't understand the endless debate amongst folks. I say use ALL of the tools at your disposal and work your behind off at being able to bring it all to your music. Reading, ear training, technique drills, metronome work, transcribing, etc. It all counts and it is all worthwhile. Sounds like you have done your homework and it paid off in a big way! Thanks for sharing that great gig story.